
.. _overview:

Colander
========

Colander is useful as a system for validating and deserializing data obtained
via XML, JSON, an HTML form post or any other equally simple data
serialization.  It runs on Python 2.6, 2.7 and 3.2.  Colander can be used to:

- Define a data schema.

- Deserialize a data structure composed of strings, mappings, and
  lists into an arbitrary Python structure after validating the data
  structure against a data schema.

- Serialize an arbitrary Python structure to a data structure composed
  of strings, mappings, and lists.

Colander is a good basis for form generation systems, data
description systems, and configuration systems.

Out of the box, Colander can serialize and deserialize various types
of objects, including:

- A mapping object (e.g. dictionary).

- A variable-length sequence of objects (each object is of the same
  type).

- A fixed-length tuple of objects (each object is of a different
  type).

- A string or Unicode object.

- An integer.

- A float.

- A decimal float.

- A boolean.

- An importable Python object (to a dotted Python object path).

- A Python ``datetime.datetime`` object.

- A Python ``datetime.date`` object.

Colander allows additional data structures to be serialized and
deserialized by allowing a developer to define new "types".

The error messages used by Colander's default types are
internationalizable.

.. toctree::
   :maxdepth: 2

   basics.rst
   null.rst
   extending.rst
   binding.rst
   manipulation.rst
   interfaces.rst
   api.rst
   glossary.rst
   changes.rst

Indices and tables
------------------

* :ref:`genindex`
* :ref:`modindex`
* :ref:`search`

